1. Verbs
Definition: A word that expresses an action or helps to make a statement.

2. Verb Tenses and Time
Verbs can show different times through Tense Forms.
PRESENT TENSE- Actions that are happening right now.
Ex. She runs fast.
PAST TENSE- Actions that took place in the past.
Ex. She ran fast.
FUTURE TENSE- Actions that will take place in the future.
Ex. She will run fast.

3. Action or Linking or Helping/Auxiliary
Verb Tree
Verbs are either
Action or Linking or Helping/Auxiliary
(aka State of being verbs)
Transitive Intransitive
Verb phrases are made up of a Helping verb and an Action or Linking verb.

4. Types of Verbs: Action Action Verbs: Verbs that express an action.
Ex. Run, jump, do, go
Not all actions can be seen (ex. know, believe, think, remember)
Underline the action verbs.
The cat coughed up a hair ball.
The cheese melted.
She remembered her homework.

5. Two Types of Action Verbs
Transitive Verbs: Verbs that direct the action they express towards a person or thing named in the sentence.
Ex. Mrs. Rames threw the monkey.
The action of the verb threw is directed towards the monkey.
*Object: The word that receives the action of a transitive verb.
TIP: If you can answer the question “what” or “who” after the action verb, with information from the sentence, the verb is transitive.

6. Two Types of Action Verbs
Intransitive Verbs: Verbs that express action that is not directed towards someone or something in the sentence.
Ex. Shamrock jumped.
Ex. Shamrock jumped over the fence.
Ex. Shamrock jumped quickly.

7. Practice time! Hooray!
Decide if the verb in bold is transitive or intransitive.
Jane studied all night before the final.
Jane studied math all night before the final.
I ate so much cheese, I threw up.
I ate quickly.

8. Answers 1. studied is intransitive 2. studied is transitive
3. ate is transitive, threw up is intransitive
4. ate is intransitive

9. Another type of verb
Linking Verbs: Verbs that help to make a statement by acting as a link between two words. They do not express an action.
Also known as state of being verbs.
Linking verbs could be replaced by an equals sign and the sentence would still mean the same thing.
Ex. Lucky is a leprechaun.
Means the same as…
Lucky = a leprechaun.

10. Most Common Linking Verbs You don’t need to write all of these down
Be being am
shall be will be has been
should be would be can be
is are was
Were have been had been
Shall have been will have been
Could be should have been
Would have been could have been

11. Other Common Linking Verbs (state of being verbs) Again, you don’t need to write all of these
Appear grow seem stay
Become look smell taste
Feel remain sound turn
Some of the above linking verbs can also act as action verbs.
Ex. The dog smelled horrible. LINKING
Ex. The dog smelled the bug. ACTION

12. Helping Verbs
Helping Verb: A form of the verb BE that helps to express an action.
- Sometimes the helping verb and main verb are together.
Ex. She will run soon.
- Sometimes the helping verb and main verb are separated by other words.
Ex. We could never have moved that car alone.

13. Verb Phrases
Sometimes, one verb is not enough to express an action or make a statement.
Verb Phrase: A group of verbs that act together to express one action or statement.
Verb phrases include a main verb (action or linking) and a helping verb.
Ex. The cheese will melt in 5 minutes.
Ex. The dog has run to the fence.